tripping over themselves while they wear the dresses backstage. >> and trying to accept the award. >> let's cut to the unmentionable. she gets hammered on social media. i think because people think her speeches are insincere. that may not be her fault. she's an actress. there's a bit of hate out there and it doesn't seem well deserved. >> there's hate for everyone. social media makes it easy to attack people at random. i find her charming and endearing. >> what is it about anne. great actress. is she hamming it up too much? >> i don't think so. i think she's a theater kid. she's a girl that loves to be in front of a crowd. she's a performer and eager to please. i think some people are rubbed the wrong way by that. but i think she's a sweet girl that wants to succeed and wants everyone to love her. >> it was a great night. all of the twists and turns.

i thought seth was great. i love the fact that brits were all over the place as usual. we kicked hollywood butt. thank you. that's all for us tonight. good night from hollywood and the 85th oscars.

oscars big winner, "argo" takes home best picture. blizzard warning. some states barely digging out. bracing for another round of potentially life-threatening cans. the pope's final blessing. the pope leaving in a couple days. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans this monday morning for you. >> i'm john berman. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. and let's start with hollywood's night of night. i just took off my tuxedo. it was the 85th oscars. music and film. and seth macfarlane can really sing. he really can. and as for the awards himself, no one film dominated. and the iran hostage thriller, "argo" came away the big winner. giving ben affleck the last

lau laugh. nichelle turner has been up all night. good whatever it is for you. >> can we take the just off of there. can we say cnn's nischelle turner has been up all night. >> still, you look great. good to see you this morning. >> okay. thank you very much. yeah. it's been a great night here in hollywood. they call it hollywood's biggest night. and it definitely has been hollywood's biggest night. the 85th oscars was supposed to be a return to hollywood glamour. return to the oscars of the past everyone loved. the big production numbers. the musical acts. if that is what you love, that is what you saw. let's take a look at that. >> and now, for the moment we have all been waiting for -- >> reporter: first lady michelle obama gave the oscars a jolt of excitement and a huge surprise,

when she appeared from the white house to announce the night's biggest prize, best picture. >> and the oscar goes to "argo." >> reporter: it was an especially sweet victory for ben affleck, who wasn't nominated for directing the hostage thriller. "life of pi" based on the best-selling novel, about a boy at sea, won best director for ang lee. >> thank you, academy. >> reporter: he played one of the greatest presidents in history. and lincoln's leading man, daniel day-lewis, made history of his own, becoming the first male actor to win three oscars. >> so grateful to the academy for this beautiful honor. >> reporter: she took a tumble heading to the stage. but everyone else was on their feet when "silver lining playbook's" jennifer lawrence

won best actress. host seth macfarlane struck a cheeky tone, securing stars and poking fun at himself. >> seth macfarlane, worst oscar host? it's that bad? >> reporter: music was the theme of the night. and the show posted full-throated performances from the cast of "chicago," "dream girls" and "les miserables." and music was a memorable part of the tribute to james bond. shirley bassy got a standing ovation. while chart-topper, adele, song the latest 007 theme, "skyfall," which won the oscar for best song. barbra streisand returned to the oscar stage to sing "memories." and the biggest winner remembered his last time earning oscar gold. >> i was here 15 years ago or something. and i went out. you know, i never thought that i

would be back here. and i am. and it doesn't matter. how you get knocked down in life. that's going to happen. all that matters is you're going to get up. >> reporter: that was one of my favorite moments of the night, most definitely, when ben affleck got up there. you would think maybe he would have prepared himself for that win because "argo" did go into last night with such of a momentum swing that it's gotten throughout this award season. but he seemed just flustered and happy and all here, there and everywhere. and you love those type of moments on the oscars. by the way, we're here at the famed roosevelt hotel here in hollywood. and there's a bar right over to my shoulder here. it's called the library. it's only 2:00 a.m. here. there's people that are still partying tonight. and i can hear them. who knows? they may just make a cameo walking behind us here this morning. it is one of those types of

nights. i don't know if you had any favorite moments. but i did have a couple. did you have a favorite moment? >> i love the music. i'm a big fan of the musicals and music. i think catherine zeta-jones was killer in the "all that jazz" number. >> i talked to her at the governor's ball last night. she said it was a rush to be back on stage. and her husband, michael douglas, was giving her that look. and that was a very sexy number. and everyone around him, he told me, kept saying, good lord, your wife is sexy. it might be a good night in the douglas household last night. one of my favorite moments, and it was a little crass, was they played the jaws music when we were going too long. we are saying, wrap it up, guys. i thought it was funny. and i thought it was a way to let everybody know, you're almost done. but i did think maybe it went a step too far, when they cut that poor fella off there, who was trying to give his speech.

and i'm getting the wrap now. so, they're about to start playing the "jaws" music. >> getting the music from our producers. an edgier oscars for sure. great to see you this morning. good for you, staying up all night. we'll see you again. call it a severe weather sequel. just days after a powerful winter blast blanketed the plains states with record snow, right now, a crippling winter storm bearing down on the same region. bringing with it, what the national weather service is calling life-threatening blizzard conditions. the national weather service has issued urgent warnings. kansas city is expecting 9 to 15 inches of snow tonight into tuesday. the same system just left a blanket of white over much of colorado, cancelling hundreds of flights out of denver international on sunday. sam brownback is calling for drivers to stay off the road in his state. and he has worries this storm has the potential to be more

dangerous. jennifer delgado live for us now. how bad is it this morning? >> it seems like we always are talking about some type of winter storm. you're right. we're talking about dangerous conditions setting up. you see the blizzard warning in place. across kansas, texas, new mexico, as well as missouri. we're going to see the winds really picking up as we go later into the afternoon and the evening hours. that means visibility is really going to be down. overall, we have about 17 states that are under some type of winter weather warning advisory. and it is going to be a bad one out there. look what's happening right now. we already are seeing storms moving through central texas, as well as that snow working through, in these locations. a foot or more for kansas city. a foot of snowfall for you. interstate 70's going to be a mess. chicago, you're going to see roughly about five inches of snowfall. that's welcome news because you're really low on the precipitation. down to the south. notice we have a severe thunderstorm watch in place for louisiana, that includes

new orleans. that's in place until 8:00 a.m. look at the lightning out there. all this rain is going to be coming down. we're talking about a flood threat for today, tomorrow. we're talking two to four inches. in addition to that, severe weather for parts of the gulf. you can see from louisiana, texas, all the way over to the panhandle of florida. that means, we could see storms producing isolated tornadoes, as well as damaging winds. it's never an easy weather day. it's like a weather buffet. >> a weather buffet. >> a bad weather buffet. >> makes you sick. the white house is getting specific about the programs that would take a hit if the spending cuts known in washington as the sequester, go into effect on friday. just days away. food safety inspections, mental health treatments, early vaccines, are programs all at risk. the faa would have to furlough nearly all of its employees, causing a major disruption in air travel. and defense would stall maintenance on navy ships.

it's a mess. and arne duncan appeared on cbs sunday. >> we don't have any ability with dumb cuts like this to figure out what the right thing to do is. it means a lot more children will not get the services and opportunities they need. in as many as 40,000 teachers could lose their jobs. >> some republicans say the obama administration is crafting a doomsday scenario, to get republicans to accept a deal that includes more tax increases for the wealthy. and republican leaders say those increases are unacceptable. pope benedict has three more days as leader of the catholic church. he delivered a service in a packed st. peters square. he will officially step down at 8:00 p.m. on thursday. pope benedict resigns amid rumors of a sex scandal, such as gay priests being blackmailed.

the end of the castro era in cuba, in sight. raul castro says he plans on stepping down in 2018, which is the end of his second term. fidel castro's 81-year-old brother made the announcement sunday, shortly after the country's national assembly elected him to a second five-year term. as for a possible successor? raul castro says cuba's first vice president, miguel diaz, is part of a new generation that will provide the future leadership of that country. high school administrators in grant forks, north dakota, are investigating a shocking incident. three students showed up for a state hockey tournament on friday, wearing ku klux klan-style hoods. a photo of the three was posted to twitter. generated a lot of outrage. school officials have contacted the parents. they say they're disappointed in the students' behavior. and that appropriate action will be taken. >> simply crazy. >> stupid. one of the country's biggest fans of "argo," secretary of

state, john kerry, makes his first trip overseas as america's top diplomat. we will go live from london. and danica patrick at daytona. she didn't win the race. but still made history. we have the highlights for you. . ♪ my friends are all around me ♪ my friends, they do surround me ♪ ♪ i hope this never ends ♪ and we'll be the best of friends ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing the reimagined 2013 chevrolet traverse. all set? all set. with spacious seating for up to eight. imagine that. chevrolet. find new roads. hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

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♪ things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply. welcome back, everybody. secretary of state john kerry is in london this morning. his first leg of his first trip as the nation's chief diplomat. he'll visit nine countries. a short time ago, he met with david cameron. he'll sit down with the british foreign secretary. our foreign affairs correspondent, jill dougherty, is traveling with secretary kerry. she joins us live from london. good morning, jill. >> reporter: good morning, john. this is where it began this morning. the famous 10 downing street.

offering john kerry a traditional english breakfast. that's to fortify him for this very long trip. just days before his first international trip as secretary of state, john kerry made the case to an american audience, why the stakes for u.s. global engagement are so high. >> today's global world, there is no longer anything foreign about foreign policy. more than ever before, the decisions that we make from the safety of our shores don't just ripple outward. they also create a current, right here, in america. >> reporter: former high-level diplomats say the eyes of the world will be on kerry and where he flies. >> first trips by an american secretary of state overseas are watched very closely. there's a lot of symbolism attached to them. people look for clues as to which region is most important to the united states. >> reporter: his predecessor, hillary clinton, headed east for

her first trip. part of the obama administration's pivot to asia. kerry's trip goes to nine countries. italy, turkey, france, egypt, saudi arabia, the united arab emirates and qatar. he needs european support in the ongoing dispute over iran's nuclear ambitions. and for any next steps to help the syrian opposition. already, the opposition coalition, angry over not getting the military arms they want, is refusing to attend a meeting in rome where they were scheduled to talk with secretary kerry. one wild card on this trip, egypt. anti-government protests continue, as its economy struggles. but the state department says, don't expect kerry to chart any new policy on this trip. >> he's characterizing this first trip more broadly, as a listening tour. >> reporter: john kerry follows

in the footsteps of hillary clinton, who had sky-high popularity around the world. >> nobody's the rock star hillary clinton is. >> reporter: but kerry, who is a boy, lived in berlin, brings his own credentials. as chairman of the foreign senate relations committee, he got to know many world leaders. he served as barack obama's personal enjoy to pakistan and afghanistan. madeleine albright says despite clinton's global following, kerry is ready the take the lead as america's top diplomat. >> i've known him a very, very long time. and someone who comes from being chairman of the foreign relations committee, he's clearly dealt with all the issues and understands their background, their depth. >> reporter: and so, it is billed as a listening trip. and that means, to be diplomatically safe. not to break any new ground. not to make any mistakes. but hatching plots -- or hatching plans in washington is

one thing. but the reality on the ground in the middle east, in syria, is certainly another, john. >> jill, i think it will be months if not years before john kerry is not compared to his immediate predecessor, hillary clinton. are there any differences yet? and do you predict differences in their styles going ahead? >> reporter: one thing is the politician. that was one thing that secretary clinton used very much to her advantage. making the case to other world leaders. you know, you can be a statesman. you can rise above it. and that political sense, also john kerry has. so, there may be something kind of similar in them. but they're different in emotional and temperamental differences. and that will be interesting to watch on the ground, too. i mean, john kerry doesn't have anything at this point to prove. there is no 2016 for him. it might be legacy determining how he handles things. >> that's an interesting

distinction. jill dougherty live for us. 19 minutes past the hour. time to get you up to speed on today's top stories. the pre-oscar favorite delivered last night. "argo" winning best picture. the award was presented by michelle obama from the white house. it was a big night for "life of pi." it won the most oscars, four, which included a best actor win for ang lee. u.s. special sources may have harassed innocent people west of kabul. now, hamid karzai is saying they must leave. the u.s. military says it is investigating those claims. oscar pistorius checks in at a police station in pretoria in south africa this morning. he has to show up every monday and friday, one of his requirements of being released on bail. he is accused of killing his

girlfriend, reeva steenkamp on valentine's day. he claims he was shooting at a burglar. coming up, it is coming now. forced spending cuts. the impact on you and your state. >> the white house has released details on which states will be hit the hardist. how many jobs will be lost. with the spark miles card from capital one, bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? [ crows ] now where's the snooze button?

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stocks are coming off their worst week of the year. some of that nervousness seems to be lingering today. stock futures are mixed. for the economy, it's about the forced spending cuts that will kick in on friday.

now, the white house is detailing exactly what they might look like for you. >> don't forget, this is a big political move by the white house to highlight to everyone how this is going to feel and how you're going to feel. and to pressure republicans to try to do some deal. some are calling this a doomsday scenario. it's meant to pressure republicans into a deal with higher taxes on the wealthy. the white house spelling it out what it means for the states. big cuts for the district of colombia. 13,000 civilian defense workers would be furloughed. that is in addition to thousands more federal workers. head start, the child prom for low-income families will be cut for 200 kids. in new jersey, 1,500 fewer students would get assistance. think of the beaches. there could be $5 million in cuts. let's go to california. navy ships in san diego wouldn't be repaired. one common theme for all the states, education cuts.

arne duncan was on "face the nation" sunday. >> we don't have any ability with dumb cuts like this to figure out what the right thing to do is. it means a lot more children will not get the kinds of services and opportunities they need. in as many as 40,000 teachers could lose their jobs. >> republicans see these last-minute press releases as a waste of time. senate republican leader mitch mcconnell says, there's smarter ways to reduce the size of government. with the national debt over $16 trillion, it's time for the white house to stop campaigning and find smarter ways to reduce the deficit. analysts say it's slim that congress will avert the cuts before friday. the point is the white house is casting this has everyday people are going to lose services and there will be job cuts. but the republicans want to protect companies and rich from paying higher taxes. >> there we are. exactly where we started in 2011. >> it is a great situation, folks. stay with us. we'll keep you abreast of all of

the developments, if there are developments. the winter hits keep on coming in some parts of the country. look at another storm dumping hundreds of snow on the central plains. we'll tell you where it's going next. and if you're leaving the house, you can watch us on your desktop or mobile phone. oh! progress-oh! [ female announcer ] with 40 delicious progresso soups at 100 calories or less, there are plenty of reasons people are saying "progress-oh!"

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we have the potential for deadly conditions. blizzard warnings for some states still digging out. danica patrick makes history at daytona. we're live with the highlights. and the first lady's oscar act. mrs. obama gives an award at hollywood's biggest night. >> welcome back to "early start." >> about 29 minutes past the hour right now. meanwhile, the plains are

getting pounded again. a second winter storm slamming the region. grounding flights from colorado all the way to texas. the storm is bringing potentially life-threatening and crippling blizzard conditions, with freezing temperatures to portions of southeast kansas, northwest oklahoma and the texas panhandle. that powerful storm is threatening the plains states today, it's made a mess in colorado. more than nine inches of snow blanketed the denver area. 19 inches in jefferson. the heavy snow forced hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, up to four hours for those flights that were able to take off. and jim is live in denver this morning. besides you, are people going to make it to work this morning? >> reporter: i think they're going to be okay. look at interstate 25. it's open.

they were out all day, getting the main arteries clear. you can see how slick this is. on-ramps, bridges, those sorts of areas. it's really rare here in denver, john, that they even plow the residential streets because usually we get this fine powdery snow. right now, they have 120 pickup trucks with snowplows on the front, trying to get residential streets cleared. usually we get the famous colorado powder here. but this snow is much different. it came down all different. it's snowy on the top. but underneath, there's a dense layer of almost frozen snow. that's the hazard when it ices up. very treacherous. you don't know what you're driving into. all of the runways are open. they're going to have deicing delays. but they don't expect major delays in the air, expect for flights going in and out of where the storm is headed. the big advantage we had

yesterday, is this snow fell on a sunday, when everybody was off and the crews could get out here with not a lot of traffic on the road. but denver schools, opening on time. >> that's the bad news for the kids today. slow but everything moving in denver. the big question is kansas. they got pounded in last week's storm. and still under a state of emergency, with more extreme weather ahead. how do things look up there? >> reporter: the governor's extended the state of emergency there. they're digging out. in some parts, they got 20 inches of snow a couple of days ago. they could get another foot now. in oklahoma and the panhandle of texas, they could get hit there. blizzard warning in effect. >> looking at crazy pictures from there. jim in denver. nice to see you. as pope benedict xvi enters his final days of the catholic church, the cardinals are heading to the vatican. donald worrell, the archbishop,

part of the conclave that will pick the next pope. he says the successor will probably not be an american. >> the conventional wisdom says it can't happen from the united states because we're the only superpower. and i don't think it would be seen as a very good thing if the pope, who is supposed to be reminding governments of their responsibilities, to build peace, if he were from the same superpower. >> pope benedict will step down on thursday night at 8:00 p.m. vatican time. the vatican says a new pope will be in place for this year's easter celebrations on march 31st. >> a lot going on right now. the white house budget office painting a gloomy picture if the cuts known as the sequester go into effect this friday. vaccines and early education programs would all take a hit. defense spending would take cuts in navy spending.

oscar night is history. and daniel day-lewis made history, winning his third best actor statue for "lincoln." and jennifer lawrence took the award for "silver linings playbook." someone help her up. oh, thank goodness. there's hugh jackman. >> she was gracious about it. and she got the big statue. the other big awards went to anne hathaway. and christoph waltz for "django unchained." >> and there was a surprise ending. it wasn't the winner. it was michelle obama. with late help from jack nicholson. the first lady announced best picture, live from the white house. >> and the oscar goes to --

"argo." >> "argo" becoming -- there's ben affleck. just the fourth film in the oscars 85-year history to win best picture without its director being nominated. and that was a really good film. >> all really good films. stephen colbert isn't just a funny guy. he's a loyal brother. he helped his sister, elizabeth colbert bush serve up sandwiches in south carolina. this was a meet and greet event. her brother bragged an her and bragged an their home state. >> there's no place like south carolina. it's the greatest state. it has the finest food. the finest people. it has the greatest history. the most beautiful countryside. it has the greatest water. the most beautiful women. the most handsome men. strongest children. >> he is so funny.

and you know, he's got a very big family. if other people started running for office, he could spend his entire life campaigning for them. 1 of 11? >> at least. >> there you go. a sack that sold for thousands of dollars, collector paid $92,000 for the sock of curt schilling that had blood on it from the world series. the sock's new owner says it has the contract that brought babe ruth to new york and boston. >> i hate to bring in up. there's two sacks. >> why john berman did not read that story, i do not understand. >> there were two bloody socks. the most was part of the alcs, that curt schilling wore when he beat the yankees in game six. that sock, allegedly discarded in yankee stadium. the second sock, he wore in the world series. less famous. but still, very important. transcended in some ways. i didn't buy it.

>> next hour, give him that story. thank you. despite a spectacular crash on saturday, the daytona 500 went off without a hitch. >> and danica patrick, driving her way into the history books. details on the big race, when we come back. but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. from capital one... boris earns unlimited rewards for his small business. can i get the smith contract, please? thank you. that's three new paper shredders. [ boris ] put 'em on my spark card. [ garth ] boris' small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase every day. great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. read back the chicken's testimony, please. "buk, buk, bukka!" [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase every day. told you i'd get half. what's in your wallet? hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh?

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but with the nation's largest alumni network, including those in key hiring positions, university of phoenix can help connect you to a world of opportunity. five-time nascar champion, jimmie johnson has another prize for his trophy room. it's a big one. the second daytona 500 victory. he held off dale earnhardt jr. in the final lap. earnhardt finished second. 54-year-old mark martin took third place in the nascar season opener. >> and danica patrick became the first woman to start the daytona 500 from the pole position. she ended up finishing eighth in the race. joe is live from daytona. >> reporter: good morning, guys. what a finish for danica patrick.

in the last lap, she has a chance to win. she was running in third place. she was disappointed she didn't have a better plan because she dropped back to eighth. it was a great day for her. she wanted to show fans and her competition, she can be a consistent driver. she wanted to show she's going to be a legitimate threat each and every race in this upcoming nascar season. it was danica's day. and it started from the very beginning. she got a huge roar from the crowd. the same roar that dale jr. gets. voted nascar's most popular driver, ten years in a row. and then, the grand marshal, james franco. he changed it a little bit. it was a flattering nod towards danica patrick. >> drivers and danica, start your engines. >> reporter: danica patrick made history three times at the great american race. she started from the front. led a lap. and finished in the top ten. she's the first woman driver to

accomplish any of those three. >> great job. great job. who says girls can't do this crap? >> real proud for her. i hope she's happy. she probably wanted to run better than that. but she has a lot of good racing up ahead of her. this is how you get out on the right foot. >> leading a lap was nice. and it's more calm driving around here than indy in an indy car. at least on your own, especially in the lead. i guess i had a little more time to look around and see the people. >> she has no fear. and is very comfortable. we're excited for her sport to have her in it and to bring a boost of casual fans that may not be avid nascar fans as of now. it's great. >> reporter: one more thing about danica patrick before we talk about jimmie johnson, the champion. danica beat 35 other drivers, including her boyfriend. her new boyfriend, ricky stenhouse jr. she finished eighth. he finished 12th.

>> she did not seem terribly happy. she seemed a little blue. let's talk about the winner. jimmie johnson won his second daytona 500. a lot of people think he's a little boring. but does this cement his status as a true legend? >> absolutely. there's been comparisons that this could be -- jimmie johnson could be this sport's michael jordan. hep is a solid, consistent champion. and, you know, people said, back when he won his third cup championship, no other driver had done that. and he went on to win five-straight. you know, recently, he started hash tagging six pack, putting a campaign out there for a sixth cup championship. but jimmie johnson certainly is a great champion. i mean, yesterday's race, daytona international speedway needed this. with the weather possibly coming in and the nationwide crash on saturday, for them to have a clean race saturday. and for them to crown the classy

champion they did in jimmie johnson, was a good day for the speedway. >> all the guy does is win. joe, great to see you this morning. when we come back, winter strikes again. the latest on the massive snowstorm hitting the central u.s. >> if you're leaving the house right now, you can watch us anytime on your desktop or mobile phone. t from capital one,rk miles card bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? [ crows ] now where's the snooze button?

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pope benedict is entering his final days as leader of the catholic church. he's stepping down on thursday. cardinals headed to the vatican where they will select the new pope. the vatican expects a new pope to be in place by easter. congress is back in session, after a week off. lawmakers have until friday if they want to prevent a series of forced spending cuts, also known as the sequester. the white house says air travel, food inspections, childhood

vaccines and inspections for navy ships will take a hit if the cuts go into effect. the end of the castro era now in sight. raul castro says he plans on stepping down in 2018, after his second term as president. fidel's 81-year-old brother made the announcement on sunday, after the national assembly elected him to a five-year turn. paul mcilhenny died over the weekend. the mcilhennies have made tobasco sauce. he is the fourth generation in the business. he is credited with creating new flavors. oscar night was "argo's" crowning glory. sweet revenge for its director, ben affleck, who was snubbed in the category. top awards, went to daniel

day-lewis, for "lincoln." best actress, to jennifer lawrence for the film "silver linings playbook." >> they've been up all night. we're seeing you mid-party in hollywood. the oscar night festivities continuing at some of the most celebrated after-parties in the world. paul vercammen has more on that. >> reporter: from the governor's ball. to the "vanity fair" party. to elton john's famous fund-raiser, hollywood knows how to let loose on oscar night. >> we're able to come here and get our message across and raise money and have a good time at the same time. >> reporter: sir elton and david fernish celebrated their event. heidi klum, nicki minaj and jane lynch were on-hand. >> i thought it was a wonderful show. i loved it. i loved the movies. it was great. >> reporter: across town at the

"vanity fair" soiree, sandra bullock, and richard gere, all hit the red carpet before partying it up inside. and presenter, halle berry, revealed what she thought was the biggest surprise of the night. >> ang lee. i thought surprised everybody. but so deserved. i loved "life of pi." >> reporter: at the governor's ball after-party, the night's big winners bumped shoulders with hollywood icons. >> octessica. we're the supercouple. >> what are you going to do tonight? >> i don't know. it depends on what and who is in there? >> how heavy is this? is it heavy? that is heavy. you have this great smile on your face. >> it's great. i'm emotional. i just want a drink. >> we could have gone to the parties. instead, we got up at 2:00 here to do this show. >> i wasn't invited to any of

the parties. the national weather service has issued urgent winter warnings for oklahoma city. kansasity, expecting 9 to 15 inches of snow, tonight into tuesday. the same system left a blanket of white over colorado. cancelling hundreds of flights out of denver international on sunday. jennifer is at the weather center. how bad is it? i feel like it's a rerun. >> it's like "groundhogs day." we have blizzard warnings across four states. and blizzard conditions are being experienced in parts of the texas panhandle, as well as the oklahoma panhandle. you see the snow coming down. the circulation spinning to the west of lubbock, texas. a lot of lightning cominging down, in parts of western oklahoma. where you see the snow. now, you add in the wind. 40, in amarillo, and 24. look at the gusts. they're going to continue throughout the day. really, the danger is going to

be the visibility. when you get the winds, visibility is going to be less than a quarter-mile. now, you add in a foot and a half of snow, across parts of kansas, missouri. it is going to be a big, ole mess out there. we time this for you. and we take you through 10:00 p.m., notice the snow starting to get heavier in parts of kansas. and in st. louis, your snow starts tuesday. and the same for chicago and down towards the south. we're going to be looking at rainfall. in parts of louisiana, alabama into georgia. we have a severe thunderstorm watch in place. and that is until 8:00 a.m. local time for louisiana. we're also talking potential for tornado threat. look at this. in yellow. the northern gulf coast. we're looking from texas all the way to florida. another three-peat. >> there we go. >> not the good kind, at all. >> this is winter. hello, winter. >> it is. >> one last -- >> we need spring. >> thanks, jennifer. we'll be back in a moment.

first, tripping at the oscars. the moment that everyone is talking about this morning, in how jennifer lawrence -- she not only recovered. she recovered brilliantly. >> that skirt -- >> i could never walk in that.

welcome back. it is 56 minutes past the hour. i'm christine romans, along with john berman. looking at the top trends on the web. >> at age 22, she's already an academy award winner. hollywood's leading lady. but this morning, the buzz is about jennifer lawrence and how she tripped. it was on her way to accept her best actress oscar. this, after she allegedly ripped

her dress at the s.a.g. awards. she handled it with unbelievable grace and charm. >> the fall on the way up to the stage. >> was that on purpose? absolutely. >> what happened? >> what do you mean what happened? look at my dress. i tried to walk up stairs in this dress. that's what happened. >> there's like 100 feet long. >> hollywood's biggest night, on the minds of the late-night hosts this weekend. michelle obama, making an appearance at the oscars last night. and jimmy fallon, showbiz may be in her future. here are the late-night laughs. >> the academy awards. it's television's answer to jetblue. you sit there for four hours, waiting for it to take off. >> adele getting nominated for that song. ♪ >> that was -- >> that's awesome. >> nice. >> her song is up against the

song from "the life of pi." i have no idea how that goes. ♪ when the pi, pi falls ♪ the apple crumble >> can i ask you, another thing to think about. i said it here first. dream team, michelle and hillary, '16. what -- what do you think? >> you know, i have my eye, actually, on another job. i hear that when jay leno retires -- >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> that position is going to be open. and i'm thinking about putting my hat in the ring. what do you think? >> i'm done thinking about it. >> awkward. "early start" continues right now.

oscar's big winner. "argo." bracing for another round of potentially life-threatening conditions. >> and pope benedict, in his final days, leaving the catholic church, amid reports of a corruption scandal. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. >> it is 6:00 a.m. in the east. it is the morning after. up first, ben affleck, he gets the last laugh, along heartfelt rambling laugh in some cases. his thriller "argo," winning best picture at last night's oscar ceremony. it had emerged at the pre-oscar favorite, after affleck was snubbed for best director. the 85th oscars featured a celebration of music and irreverent host. it was a different, edgy

and nischelle turner live with no sleep. >> yeah, i'm the captain of no sleep this morning, john berman. you guys might have to call me irreverent after a little bit. you never know what i'm going to say after a night of no sleep. one thing about seth macfarlane, he really is this old-fashioned song and dance kind of guy. and it was on display throughout the ceremony last night. he was definitely one of the stars as well as well as all of the big winners last night. what i wanted to do, put a little something together, condense it all for you folks who missed the ceremony itself. here is the oscars in a nutshell. take a look. >> and now for moment we have all been waiting for. >> first lady michelle obama gave the oscars a jolt of excitement and a surprise when she appeared from the white house to announce the night's biggest surprise, best picture.

>> and the oscar goes to "argo." >> an especially sweet win for ben affleck. >> everybody on the movie, worked on the movie, did anything about the movie. and life of pi" won the most awards. >> he played one of the greatest men in history, and lincoln's leading mandan yell day lewis became of first male actor to win three oscars. so great for this beautiful honor. took a tumble heading to the stage. but everybody else on their feet when "silver linings playbook" one for best actress. >> i fell and that's really embarrassing. >> and the quest to make tommy lee jones laugh begins now.

se . >> seth macfarlane he poked fun at himself all night. music was the theme of the night. and it had those from the cast of ow chicago," "dreamgirls" and "les miserables." and music was a part of the tribute to james bond. shirley bassy got a standing ovation after belting out "goldfinger." and chart topper adele sang "sky fall" which won the oscar fo best actor. >> barba sterisand sang memory. >> i never thought i would be back here, and i am. and it doesn't matter how you

get knocked down in life. because that is going to happen. all that matters is you got to get up. >> reporter: that was a great moment last night. i don't know if you noticed, but george clooney on stage as well. he didn't say a word. i asked him why he didn't talk during the acceptance speech. he said it was ben's night. it was also seth macfarlane's night. the reviews this morning, kind of mixed. people saying they thought he was better than billy crystal, but they thought he may have been a little sexist. i laughed out loud so many times during the show last night. but his opening monologue may have gone on a couple beats too long. >> he was edgy, spoke to sort of our generation of viewers, broadly speaking, because now i'm an old, old man. occasionally with the one song, everybody knows what i'm talking about, that may have crossed the line and not gender sensitive

shall we say. nischelle turner, great to see you, a big night at the oscars. >> completely switching gears. let's call it a severe weather sequel. days after a powerful winter blast blanketed plain states, a crippling winter storm is bearing down on the same region, bringing with it what the national weather service is called life-threatening blizzard conditions. urgent winter warnings for oklahoma and kansas city expecting 12 to 15ins overnight. canceling hundreds of flights out of denver international. sam brown beck is calling for drivers to stay off the road in this state and this storm has the potential to be more dangerous than last week's. jennifer delgado live in the weather center. welcome to winter. >> yeah, welcome to winter. and he's absolutely right. the winds will be really gusting. last week we didn't have the

blizzard conditions in place. on the radar, notice what's coming down. snow, heavy through parts of texas and oklahoma, and storms moving through central parts of oklahoma. notice for yourself, with the light in here. once again, we're look telling potential for thundersnow, but on a serious and more important note, with winds, gusting up to 50 in some locations. sustained, 38 in amarillo. talking quarter mile visibility. don't get on the roadways. this is potentially dangerous. add in a foot of snowfall, more acro parts of kansas and regions like oklahoma. we're dealing with a blizzard warning in place across many states. four of those and winter storm warnings to areas like chicago, where they expect 6 to 8 inches of snowfall. and on the other side, the southeast is flooding and a

tornado threat assist well. >> what a mess. >> a big bag of weather. a blockbuster of weather. >> thank you, jennifer. six minutes after the hour. the white house budget office is talking about the programs that they say would take a hit if the forced spending cuts known as the sequester goes in effect this friday. food safety inspections, mental health, vaccines and early childhood education are all at stake. the faa is facing cuts that could disrupt air travel. >> in the end, there has to be some kind of furlough of air traffic controllers that will begin to curtail or eliminate the opportunity for them to guide planes in and out of airports. it's a big part of our budget. >> some republicans say the obama administration is painting a doomsday scenario to push them

into a deal that includes more tax increases for the wealthy and republicans don't want to do that. in three days, pope benedict will step down as the leader of the catholic church. he delivered a final public prayer ceremony before a packed st. peter's square. the pope's resignation becomes official at 8:00 p.m. on thursday. he cited his advancing age as the reason for his decision, and his resignation among a brewing sex scandal by italian media calling gay priests being black mailed by male prostitutes, a charge that the vatican has flatly denied. we have more from the vatican. >> reporter: a very good morning to you. the stakes could not be higher for the men who run vatican city behind me and the 1.3 billion people of the roman catholic faith around the world. there is a meeting going on as we speak behind me there. john allen, our senior analyst

is with us. what's going on, john. >> this morning, roughly an hour ago, rome time, pope benedict xvi had a meeting with the commission that reported on the leak mess. it is part of so much speculation, whether it's part of the gay lobby, and so forth. there is some thought whether they might release that report to the other cardinal, sometime in early march, electing the next pope. >> what do we know about the secret dossier at this point? >> we don't know much. the only thing we know is the guy who read is it pope xvi. we have been talking about what might be in it. there are people who have secrets to keep about their sex lives who would have been vulnerable to leaked documents. we don't know if that's true.

>> and the british media talking about inappropriate behavior in scotland. what are the legs on that. >> very serious charges against cardinal keith o'brien, one of the 116 cardinals to participate in this conclave. cardinal o'brien has retained legal council and the vatican is looking into it. whatever vatican investigation is launched will not conclude before the conclave. it's in his hands. >> the pope held his final public blessing yesterday. they say that a day is a long week in vatican politics as it were, john. we'll be back to you with more as we get it out of there. >> a lot of tension in the final days for pope benedict xvi. our thanks to you and john this morning in rome. the end of the era for the castro era. cuban president raul castro plans to step down in 2018.

fidel castro's brother making this announcement yesterday. the new first vice president miguel diaz canal is part of the new generation that will provide future leadership for the country. two adults and two young children missing after their 29-foot sailboat started taking on water near san francisco. it was 65 miles off the coast of pillar point when someone on board radioed for help sunday afternoon. about an hour later, the coast guard got a message they were abandoning ship. danica patrick got all of the attention going into the daytona 500, but in the end, all about jimmie johnson, holding off dale earnhardt jr. to win his second daytona 500. a crash during the nationwide series race sent parts of kyle larson's car into the grandstand, energy 28 people. seven fans still being treated.

all listed in stable condition. the world's oldest marathon winner is putting his feet up. fauja singh took up running when he was a sprayy 89. he has become the first person on record over 100 to do it. he's raised thousands for charity. he doesn't have a secret diet or training regimen. he just loves the sport. >> i want what he's having, man. 101 and running marathons? olympic runner and accused murderer oscar pistorius has to check in with police today we think, but maybe not in person. live to pretoria with details.

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we have some confusion this morning about oscar pistorius. we were led to believe that the olympic hero was required to check in in pretoria, south africa this morning, and he had to do it every monday and friday as part of his bail last week. but now there is late word he doesn't have to do that. pistorius is charged with

murdering reeva steenkamp early valentine's day morning. he says he mistook her for a burglar. we are live in pretoria this morning. nic, can you clear up the confusion for us? >> john, perhaps no surprise. another surprise in this bail hearing, at least that has been a roller coaster so far. look around. journalists packing up and getting ready to leave. everyone staked out. the deadline came, and he wasn't coming. we talked to officials and we were told this was discussed in the court with the judge between the two principal lawyers, but it wasn't what was finally written down in the final bail document. the judge decided he would release him on bail and that's been it. since then, everyone believed

oscar pistorius would show up here, but we're just learning about it. >> yet another twist in the case of oscar pistorius. nic robertson, our thanks to you. call it a severe weather sequel. kansas hasn't finished digging out from last week and hello, another powerful system will drop another several inches today. governor sam brownback is asking drivers to stay off the road. congress back in session today. lawmakers have until friday if they want to avoid the sequester, a series of forced subpoenaing cuts. air travel, maintenance for navy ships, food inspections and early childhood education would all take effect. "argo" winning best picture in an oscar first. the award presented by michelle

obama from the white house. the 85th oscar a big night for "life of pi," taking home four awards, and li winning best director over steven spielberg. pope benedict entering his final days. stepping down on thursday. cardinals are heading to the vatican for the papal conclave to pick the next pope. they expect a new pope to be in place in time for easter. the first ever female president in south korea. park guen-hye. she has apologized for human rights abuses during her father's time in power. if you feel pain at the pump, you are not alone. >> we'll take a look at prices across the country, when we come back. credit card rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card.

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more shock waves this morning just in. news that will affect the catholic church. we're learning just now that britain's most senior catholic cleric, keith o'brien, cardinal, has resigned. this following accusations that he abused four men studying to be priests. four men that were priests, one a former priest in the 1990s. cardinal o'brien, scheduled to

vote in the papal conclave, scheduled to begin two weeks from now. and keith o'brien, the most senior catholic cleric resigning. we'll bring you more news as we get it. >> this as they are going to the vatican. in motion for the conclave, which begins later this morning. >> turmoil. i think it's safe to say. a quiet start to the week on wall street. stock futures are mixed. and we'll take mixed. stocks off the worst week of the year. and good news on gas prices. i have not said those words in a really long time. holding steady right now. after a really big runup, it seems to have stalled. gas prices unchanged second day in a row. not enough to call it a trend, but a good sign that the rising gas prices have stalled. aaa, average $3.78, and premium

gas $well over $4. but prices could be set up to fall. how much we don't know. but lundberg says prices may fall because of the main drivers behind the recent rally are out of the picture. crude oil prices are down. crude is the biggest factor. gas prices have been rising. housing reports have been good. job market is growing, but with forced spending cuts looming there, are questions about how far the economy can really go. we want guess prices to fall, but we don't want that to come at the expense of a weaker committee, right? people in los angeles are paying, $4.29 per gallon and bi billings, montana, the cheapest gas. >> we complain when the economy is doing well and gas prices go up, and we complain when the economy slows down and gas prices go down. >> we would say, yeah, a recession would give you $2.50

gas. be careful what you wish for. people aren't saving enough. a new study from bank rate. 45% of americans have more credit card debt than emergency savings. not a huge change from last year, which means we haven't made much headway on this. new report from bank rate reminding us we have to put money in the bank, not necessarily on the credit card. >> what she said. christine romans knows what she's talking about. ahead on "early start," forced spending cuts a few days away. what does that mean for state budgets? we'll talk to delaware governor jack markell. and a live report from denver on the weather. leaving the house? watch us at cnn.com/tv. yup, i brought my a-team. vo: business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! vo: earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality.

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storm. it is bringing potentially life threatening and crippling conditions to portions of southeast kansas, northwest oklahoma and the texas panhandle. it has already made a mess in colorado. more than 9 inches of snow blanketed the denver area. more snow fell in other parts of the state, 19 inches in jefferson. the heavy snow dumped on denver international airport. flight delays up to four hours for the flights able to take off. our jim spellland, live in denver this morning, does it look like people will get to work this morning? >> i think it's going to be a -- kind of a messy commute, but this is okay. this is interstate 25, one of the main roads through the middle of denver. people are making it through. they'll be okay once they get on the freeway. take a look at on-ramps, icy, slick, these are the trouble spots. what i-25 looked like yesterday

when the storm is coming through. a multicar crash, jammed up the highway. things like that going on across the state. i spoke with the department of transportation here in colorado. about 300 plows out on the front range of colorado here doing this thing. they are doing well with the snow. really having trouble with the ice layer underneath a lot of the snow. take a look at some of this. not really too bad on the top, but underneath this really slick ice layer, we saw a woman fall in a parking lot across the street from our live location just a few minutes ago. much more treacherous than it looks on the surface. those conditions we saw yesterday here, they are heading east right now. the storm is still going to have a lot of work to do. a lot of damage can be done as it moves east. >> and kansas, under a state of emergency. the state got hit last week and more extreme weather headed their way.

>> the governor extended the state of emergency. they could get another foot on top of it today. a storm warning for the city of oklahoma and for the panhandle of texas. this is the storm that would not end yesterday. it hung around hour after hour after hour. that's what they can look forward toto the east all through today and tomorrow even. >> jim spellman in denver. a mess out there, but nice to see you this morning. a coast guard rescue crew near san francisco are searching for two adults and two young children who were forced to abandon ship after their 29-foot sailboat started taking on water. 65 miles off the coast of pillar point when someone on board radioed for help sunday afternoon. the boat's electronics were failing. and an hour later, the coast guard got a message, they were abandoning ship. four days until your schools, health, safety, might be affected by massive forced spending cuts that washington said would never happen.

politicians are calling it the sequester, but really it's forced budget cuts that will slash $85 billion in spending. the white house put out a list of how each state will be hit. jack markell, a democrat from delaware, welcomed to the white house along with other governors over the weekend. >> good morning. >> the white house putting a list out of how states will be affected by spending cuts. what they say will happen in delaware. 2,000 fewer students will be served in schools. about 2,000 civilian department of defense employees furloughed. $201,000 less for senior seniors. 380 children will receive vaccines, fewer. and 1,800 fewer hiv tests and 100 fewer domestic violence victims serve. >> we feel the economy is

starting to come back, and right at the time where we would like to see it accelerate, this could really put a slam on the brakes, that's the biggest issue for us. >> gdp, the biggest issue. some say it won't be affected much. but some republicans say that president obama is painting a doomsday scenario, saying it will be worse than it actually is. this is tom coburn speaking on fox news sunday. >> senator coburn, is the president exaggerating the impact of these cuts? >> absolutely. and you see that the typical setup of the strawman. what sequestration is, it's a terrible way to cut spending. i don't disagree with that. but to not cut 2.5% out of the total budget over a year when it's twice the size it was ten years ago? give me a break. >> so is the president

exaggerating, sir? >> here is the issue. if you are a kid in head start and be impacted, if you are somebody who is supposed to get job training to go get a job and you are not going to get it, you are impacted. there is no exaggeration for you and that's the particular frustration for many of us. the most frustrating conversation any governor can have is when we talk to a business who says i would love to hire, but i can't find people with the right skills. we have resources available for job training, and if the resources get cut, it really puts -- it stops the recovery in its tracks, not what we should be doing. >> you are a powerful governor, close to the white house. what is the white house doing today, other than telling us how bad it will be? what is the white house doing today to make sure these forced spending cuts don't happen? >> the white house did put out a plan, that's the one plan out there. so i think it's time for others to react and respond to the plan. my sense, the president and

others in the administration, in addition to being focused on the sequester, the main issue, how do we make sure we continue to build a strong economy and make sure people have the skills they need? we can't lose sight of the issues. >> the president has put out a plan that's a nonstarter. he is calling for new revenue from the wealthiest americans and people say that's disingenuous in some cases. bob woodward wrote the book on the budget negotiations from 2011. he has an article or comment in the "washington post" where he said essentially what the president is doing is moving the goal posts. let me read from this. when the president asks that i substitute for the sequester include not just spending cuts but also new revenue, is he moving the goal posts. his call for a balanced approach is reasonable, and he makes a strong case that those in the top income brackets could and should pay more. but that was not the deal he made. that not part of the deal made in 20 11.

>> i went back and i read the statements in 2011. he was very clear about the need for balanced approach. what they are looking at is closing some of the loopholes and as well, the president has put forward a plan that has significant cuts as well. that being said, i can tell you what the governors are focused on. what does it mean for our economy, for jobs? that's the big concern. >> i heard from a lot of governors over the weekend, republicans and democrats. you all seem frustrated with both sides. congress and the white house. is washington letting us down? >> i think it's less about trying to assign blame and more trying to say what can we in our states do to make sure we get back to work, with the federal government as well? one of the key things, we do partner with the federal government on a number of programs, let's push forward and putting people back to work. >> five days to go. governor markell, nice to see you this morning. >> you too.

the spread the wealth at oscar ceremony. no single film dominated. "life of pi" won the most with four. "argo," won best picture and a total of three. best actress jennifer lawrence for "silver linings playbook." daniel day-lewis for "lincoln," anne hathaway" best supporting actress. and christoph waltz for best supporting actor. >> i really did like all the movies this year. simply fantastic. 37 minutes after the hour. look out, apple and google. nonprofit mozilla is launching phones that run firefox mobile operating system. they are expecting great apps because it's built on open web standards. it goes for sale in nine

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this just in. more drama for the catholic church. britain's most senior catholic cleric, keith o'brien, has remained. after accusations that he abused young men studying to be priests in the 1 980s.

becky anderson live from rome with more. >> christine, an absolute bombshell out of the vatican. the british media, publishing stories of allegation that cardinal keith o'brien involved in inappropriate behavior with four priests, three current priests and one former priest in the 1980s. should have been at mass on sunday. the congregation told of the reports and that the pope is aware of them. he is resigning today. as far as we understand it from the vatican, he actually tendered his resignation back in november and cited ill health. he was 7 and should go. that was expected to happen over the next few months. but today, february 25th. the hope has actually said he wants his resignation today.

in response, cardinal keith o'brien. remember this is britain's top cardinal, and the only man in the u.k. had involved in what will be conclave in two or three weeks' time at vatican city. he has said today, and i quote, i have valued the opportunity of serving the people of scotland. looking over my years of ministry to any good i have been able to do, he said, i thank god. for any failures, i apologize to all who i have offended." we know he's seeking legal advice. those were his words. the words of cardinal keith o'brien, who has today resigned. that confirmed by the vatican. this amongst a whole bunch of other legs to the story, of course. italian media, abounds with allegations of a sex scandal, right at the heart of the vatican behind me. storm clouds over there.

and you couldn't underestimate what is going on at the vatican today. christine. >> certainly a turbulent time for vatican and he is it the roman catholic church. thank you, becky. a major winter storm hitting the central plains. we'll check in with jennifer delgado for the latest. >> pounding the central plains. we have a blizzard warning for texas, oklahoma, kansas, and you can see where the snow is coming down. interstate 27 from amarillo to lubbock, texas, closed because of whiteout conditions. visibility down. this is the big problem as we if through the day. snow coming down just west of wichita. lots of lightning to parts of central oklahoma and we'll continue to see storms popping up throughout the day, and visibility going down, winds like what you see in amarillo at 37. will continue to increase as we go throughout the afternoon and

really we're talking about blizzard conditions, potentially through tomorrow morning and then you add in, 12 to 18 inches of snowfall across parts of kansas and up toward northern missouri. this is going to be a big mess. not a day that you say, oh, you know what? i think i'll go to the grocery store in the peek of the blizzard. don't do that. this will certainly be dangerous. the other part of the story? the heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorm watch in place across parts of louisiana. that is until 8:00 a.m. central time. the storms will be dumping a tremendous amount of rainfall. 2 to 4 inches of rain. plus we have a tornado threat as we go into the afternoon, from texas all wait over to florida. and i want to point out, convention with the storm, we'll get great reports of thundersnow. hopefully our i-reporters can take that safely. putting the call out there. >> serious weather to keep your eye on. >> you're welcome. >> soledad o'brien, out in

hollywood with a special look at a special edition of "starting point." hey, soledad. >> that's right. good morning. ahead on "starting point," we'll talk about new oscar host seth macfarlane. how did he do? he certainly brought a whole new feel for the show. was he the worst oscar host ever, or did it give him a shot in the arm? we'll talk about how he did. breaking news out of the vatican. pope benedict accepting the resignation days before the pope retires himself. we'll have a live report on that. danica's day at daytona. we knew she made history at least once. turns out she did it three times. we'll talk to nascar's kyle petty. we start right at the top of the hour. we'll see you then. >> can't wait to see you out with the big stars, who are no doubt still out partying at this very moment. our thanks to soledad.

>> hollywood's soledad o'brien. back after this quick break. it's not what you think. it's a phoenix with 4 wheels. it's a hawk with night vision goggles. it's marching to the beat of a different drum. and where beauty meets brains. it's big ideas with smaller footprints. and knowing there's always more in the world to see. it's the all-new lincoln mkz.

good morning. 51 minutes after the hour. let's get you up to date. a powerful winter storm bearing down on the plains states after dumping nine inches of snow on denver. this storm is bringing potentially life threatening and crippling blizzard conditions to parts of southeast kansas again. northwest oklahoma, and the texas panhandle. pope benedict xvi entering final days as head of the catholic church. he delivered his final public prayer in vatican city. he cites advancing age as reason

for his resignation. secretary of state john kerry in london this morning. first time i've said that. secretary of state john kerry, the first leg of his first trip as the nation's top diplomat. he visited with prime minister david cameron. he will travel to europe's key capitals, to turkey, and finally the middle east. last night was "argo's" crowning glory at the oscars. sweet revenge for ben affleck who was famously snubbed by the academy in best director academy. daniel day-lewis won for "lincoln," record third win for best actor. and jennifer lawrence won best actress in "silver linings playbook." >> played such a troubled role but had a lot of fwrgravitas.

>> funny or not so much? a lot of chatter about seth macfarlane's hosting the oscars. some of the hits and misses, when we come back. brought my a vo: business trips add up to family time. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! vo: earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality. i'm up next, but now i'm singing the heartburn blues. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is!

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shaq wins. [ male announcer ] new icy hot advanced cream. the first with 2 max strength ingredients for long lasting relief. pain over. start." perhaps more than anyone, host seth macfarlane were in the oscar spotlight. >> blogs and social media weighing in on his performance. here is a sample. >> "django unchained." an intense film. this is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman. who has been subjected to

unthinkable violence. or as chris brown and rihanna call it, a date movie. oh! oh, no. that's what we were afraid he would do. our next presenter played a raging alcoholic in "28 days," which is a weird coincidence, because i'm going to be playing one in about an hour and 45 minutes. the actor that really got inside lincoln's head was john wilkes booth. 150 years, and it's still too soon, huh? "argo" tells the previously classified story of american hostage rescue in iran. the story was so top secret, the film's director is unknown to the academy. >> the last one was funny. >> the fact that everyone is talking about his performance this morning, whether it was good or bad is actually i think a big win for the academy finally getting someone who